Dragonkin
by JupponGatana
Summary: A dark force is once again rampaging around Elibe. Someone, or something, has woken up Jakadi and told him to find the group of travelers that would lead him to an old friend...and perhaps offer aid to stop the menace one and for all....
1. Prologue : The Awakening

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem 7, or any of its predecessors and successors, and neither do I own any of the OCs. I do, however, claim the character Jakadi, and the unique weapons that he will wield.

**Prologue: The Awakening**

A mysterious, cloaked figure appeared out of nowhere at the base of Draco Mountain, a extinct volcano and the highest peak in Elibe. The figure strode straight to one of the highest crags, using a trail no human has used for a long, long time. Upon reaching a wall, a human hand slid from underneath the cloak, and, touching the wall, the figure murmured. Fingertips glowing, he pressed his hands to the wall, and it too glowed.

Suddenly, the wall parted, revealing a crevasse that only one person still alive has seen before.

'_Awaken.'_

The single word resounded through the crevice, though the cloaked figure never moved his mouth. The message was a thought from a powerful mind.

'_How did you come to know of this place?'_

The reply came, just as loud as the first statement, also coming from no mouth, but from an equally powerful being, though sleep had deprived him of his skills.

'_It is time. The world is in mortal peril once more.'_

'_And what am I to do about it, soothsayer? I have been asleep a long time. I am no longer what I once was.'_

'_It does not matter, dragonkin. Soon, you will meet the one to whom you pledged your aid so long ago, and he will aid you to regain your power. First though, you must travel to him.'_

'_And how am I supposed to do that? This is new world, far different from the one I left behind while I slept.'_

'_You will find a group of travelers, touched by the evil you sworn to fight, and they ride to protect this world, just as you and your friends once did.'_

And with no further word, the cloaked one vanished.

A rustle of wings, and another, different figure came out from the cave from which he had been sleeping. A flash of light, and the wings disappeared, replaced by a necklace with a strange stone on it. Altogether, Jakadi looked very human to the world. He looked once more at the rising sun, then turned to another crag, opening it as the cloaked one did, and extracted a cloak to cover the clothes he wore, those the identified him as a Blade Adept. Walking to the foot of Draco Mountain, he turned from the trail and went to a cave, hidden to all but those who knew it was there. Once in it, he turned in the darkness, with the air of one who knew the cave's layout by heart, and drew from the very heart of the cave, a sheathed sword. Upon drawing it, the cave was lighted by the sword's radiance, untarnished by the years it had been lying here.

'The Shyarn Kun. I have never thought I would have to use you again, but here we are.' Jakadi at last spoke aloud.

The blade shone bright, almost as if responding to its wielder.

Jakadi smiled, sheathed the sword once more, and walked out into the sunlight, into Elibe.

----

A moments later, he remembered all the other relics he and his former allies had left behind, and set off to find them again. 'Perhaps our old weapons will aid these travelers I am to find…' he mused. Walking on, he detected slight sounds in a forest not far from where he was walking. Deciding to pay it no mind, he continued on.

'Hmm, the world has not changed much, I see.' He thought aloud, reminiscing about the place he had sworn to protect, all those years ago.

_Jakadi._

_Yes, my liege? _

_You, who knows more about the humans than most of us do, must leave our realm to defend them from a threat our seers have forseen._

_My lord, what kind of threat?_

_Unfortunately, that is something the seers could not determine. All we know that we must aid these humans in a fight against this…force, or all of the universe will be in peril. You will travel to their realm, through this gate, and stop whatever threatens that world. This force must be stopped here, before it spreads._

_I understand, milord. When will I leave?_

_As soon as possible. You have a few days to ready yourself and your weapons, and perhaps our seers can give you some more insight._

_A few days will suffice my lord._

_Then, go now, for we will not meet again, not until this threat is vanquished._

Jakadi started, realizing that he had stopped in the middle of the path. 'I've got to stop dwelling on the past. This will only complicate matters. Now, to go on my way.' He said aloud.

'Oh, I don't think you should be in such a hurry, traveler.' A voice came out from the trees. 'At least, not before you leave us with something. That cloak you're wearing would suit us alright.'

A man stepped out from the forest, followed by several others. They were bare-chested, and all carried heavy-looking axes.

Jakadi smiled to himself. Truly, the world had changed very little.

'I don't think so. And kindly step aside, as I do not wish to harm you.' He replied calmly.

'Oh, doesn't wish to harm us, eh? We'll see who'll be harmed!' one bandit retorted angrily, brandishing his axe. But the leader looked at the calm stranger his hood up, and began to worry. What if this guy could kill them all?

The, pride too, took hold of him and he roared, 'Well then, attack 'im, men, but don't harm that cloak!'

And the bandits charged.

Jakadi whirled, and in a single, fluid motion, his cloak flew open, and he drew the Shyarn Kun, slicing through the bandit who had led the charge. It seemed as though the bandits were moving in slow motion, as he darted here and there, killing as he went. An axe came whistling down on his head, and it hit the earth, and then its handle was sliced off, leaving the attacker vulnerable, and then a headless bandit lay in a heap beside his weapon. Eyes searched for the lightning-quick stranger, and the last thing it saw was a blade slashing through the air.

Within moments, more than half of the bandits lay dead on the forest ground. Jakadi appeared in front of the heap of bodies, and said, without emotion, 'I'm giving you one last chance. Let me pass, or more of you will lie dead.' The leader was about to say that they were leaving, then he realized that no one was beside him anymore. Once again, rage possessed him and he charged at the stranger, and suddenly, his target wasn't there.

'Hmmm. You never quit, do you?' a voice asked, directly behind him. He pivoted, the axe cutting the air, and there was the stranger, just out of reach. 'Fine. You want to die, then so be it.' The stranger said, dryly. The bandit leader readied his axe, then, just as the stranger was in range, his axe head fell to the ground.

A half-second later, another body was added to the pile.

And Jakadi walked on, in search of his destiny.


	2. Chapter 1: Day of Strangers

Disclaimer: I don't own FE7, or any of its predecessors or any of its coming successors. I do, however, claim ownership of the character Jakadi, and the various unique weapons that some characters may receive during the course of this story.

A/N: This is my first attempt at a fic. R&R, please, and thanks for viewing!

Chapter One

■Day of Strangers■

Sunlight wafted in, warming the tent with its glow. It reached a sleeping young woman, drifting over her. Slowly waking up, the green haired girl lazily opened her eyes, reveling in the subtle glory of a new day.

Lyn rose, stretching luxuriously. She almost opened the flap of hide that served as the tent's door, when she remembered. 'Oh! My clothes! Mother would never let me for……." She stopped in midsentence, remembering what had happened so long ago. Shaking her head is dismay, Lyn turned to the small chest that lay beside the cot she had slept in. Opening it, she took out a long green robe that complimented her flowing green hair and compelling viridian eyes, fitting and emphasizing her full body while still allowing freedom of movement. She fondled the cloth lovingly, for her mother had made this for her, on her birthday, only a year before. It was her only thing from her mother she had left, she loved it dearly. Slipping it on, she turned back to the chest and lifted from it a foxhide sash, which her father had given her, also a year ago. _The poor fox never had a chance, _she thought, remembering the way had father had drawn his bowstring, and, from complete stillness, let loose the arrow that had been the fox's undoing. She shook her head again, then picked up the sword beside her bed, and stepped from the tent onto the rolling green plains of Sacae, her homeland.

---------------------------------

Rakario stumbled, and fell on his face. 'Damn. I never though I'd get into this bad a mess….,' he muttered to himself, grumbling and cursing unceasingly. He stood up on weary legs, took a step forward, then everything went black.

---------------------------------

Kneeling, Lyn stared at the stranger she had found unconscious in the plains, mystified. She continued like this for a few moments, then remembered herself. For the third time today, she shook her head, inwardly berating herself. _What kind of person am I?_ She thought. _Letting a man like this suffer more just because I was curious. Shame on me. _Standing up, she tried lifting one of the man's arms. Surprisingly, he wasn't as heavy as she thought.. Putting the arm around her shoulder, she set back towards her tent, half-carrying, half-dragging the weakened, unconscious stranger. Once inside, she laid him on her cot and took out a spare one. She then proceeded to bathe his wounds.

---------------------------------

--- A few days later ---

'Uhh……damn…' Rakario moaned, stirring. He had a terrible headache, but he was feeling surprisingly light, like he was sleeping on a be….wait a minute, he WAS sleeping on the bed. Where was he? What had happened to him? And then it all came back to him. He sat up, trying to get his bearings. He realized he was in a small tent-like structure, and that there was a woman on the cot beside him.

Was she the one who brought me here? If so, then she must be strong…I wonder what she's like? Then Rakario realized he wasn't wearing his traveling cloak or his own clothes, but a white robe that didn't belong to him. He blushed, realizing that if this young woman indeed lived alone, then….He shook his head, thinking 'What the hell is up with me? I don't even know this girl.' Still, she looked kind of like his best friend all those years ago in his village, and if she took him in, a relative stranger, then she must be as kind as Elise, and just as strong-willed. He ventured to look upon the sleeping figure beside him, and noticed that she indeed had a startling resemblance to Elise, except, of course, for her green hair. Elise had aquamarine hair, if I remember correctly, Rakario mused. Still…I'm indebted to this one. He then saw a fire burning slightly just outside the tent. He reached for his pack, and began making some tea.

'Oh, you're up.' A voice said, and Rakario started, surprised. The young woman who looked so much like Elise had woken up. 'Please...don't move so much. I may not be much of a healer, but…'

'Don't worry, ma'am, I'm fine. Thanks for taking me in. You're a really kind lady, you know that?' Rakario said, smiling slightly. 'Would you like some tea? I used some of your water, I'm afraid. I hope it's alright with you.' He added, somewhat apologetically. He had used the water without thought. He sipped some tea.

'Don't worry, it's alright. Although, you didn't use water from that yellow container did you? That was bathwater, and I really don't think its potable.' Rakario's eyes widened, and he spat out the tea and looked annoyed at himself. '…oh no….'

Lyn exploded in laughter. 'Don't worry, mister, I was just joking. I noticed you used that particular container, and I couldn't resist seeing if you had a sense of humor.'

Rakario stared at her for a moment, then burst out in laughter himself. Laughing heartily the two spent the next few moments catching their breath. 'That was a good one. I never expected that.' Rakario said, grinning inspite of himself, totally at ease. Someone had actually tricked him, something few people could do. 'By the way, I'm Rakario. Thanks again for saving me, ma'am.'

Lyn smiled, and replied 'You don't need to call me ma'am. I'm Lyn, and we'd better ….' The rest of her words were cut off when a brutal voice shouted, 'Hey, the tent! We're bandits, and you're going to give us all your valuables!'

Rakario raised an eyebrow, and Lyn explained that many bandits were wandering around Sacae, plundering and whatnot. 'Rakario, you'd better stay here. I'll go out and fight them.'

To which came the reply:

'Oh no, you're not, I want to help.'

'I'm a swordswoman. I can handle this.'

'At least let me help you. I used to be a tactician before I came here.'

Lyn stared at Rakario. '…A tactician? Then, could you help me hone my skills? I mean…' Once again, her words were cut short as the voice yelled out again ' Hey! Are you coming out, or do we have to get in and kill you?' Rakario gave Lyn a look, and said 'Let's go.'

Lyn ran out the tent, her sword drawn, and surprised a bandit, who was about to shout at them again, his hands cupped around his mouth. A quick sword slash to his throat cut off any words he could've said. Rakario came up beside Lyn, and said, 'These guys are using axes. According to experience, your sword will have a good chance against them. See them out there? You'll have to kill them all, one by one, or we'll never get out of here alive. Are you sure you don't want me to go into battle with you?

'No. Just tell me what to do, Rakario. I'll handle them.'

'Fine. Take them all one by one. Don't take them all at once. See that guy over there? Near the forest? A sneak attack would be a great first attack, and you can attack the others later.'

'Okay.' Lyn headed off, and was soon in the woods, silent as a ghost. She moved quickly, and nearing the end of the small grove, she noticed that the bandit's back was to her. 'Great, then. Time to get a little of my own back.' She emerged out of the forest at a run, and, before the bandit knew what was happening, Lyn had thrust her sword through him. 'That's one down, three to go.' She rushed at the next bandit, but he was ready for her, and the axe was flying her way. She ducked underneath it, and slashed at the bandit's face, forcing him to let go of the axe. She then sent her sword through his heart. She heard a footstep behind her, and whirled just as an axe head came whistling down, heading towards her head.

She dived, the axe missing her head by a few inches, and instead cutting into her shoulder. Lyn screamed, and all of a sudden, the bandit, who was about to deliver a death blow, crumpled at her feet, and small throwing knife embedded in his neck. Lyn looked up, and a tall, cloaked figure threw her a bottle. It was a vulnerary, a potion made to cure wounds. Grimacing in pain, she drank the whole thing and immediately felt the wound in her shoulder heal. She stood up to thank the hooded stranger, but he was gone.

-------

Rakario rubbed his eyes in amazement. Where had that hooded figure come from? And why did he help Lyn? And…where was he now?

------

Lyn looked around, couldn't find the stranger, and stepped to her left, a gesture that saved her life. And axe came crashing down and embedded itself in the ground, missing her by only a few inches. She whirled, slamming her sword hilt into the face of the large bandit. Knocking him down, his nose bleeding.

'Grr…You will pay for that, girl.' The bandit growled 'No one does that to Batta the Beast and lives!' he gave a mighty heave that pulled his axe out of the ground, and turned to face Lyn. 'You will die here!' He roared, striking out at her. 'That hooded man is no longer here to save you!'

Lyn dodged the blow, and looked at Batta, and replied ' I am more than enough to kill you, bandit! Prepare yourself!' And she charged. Batta swung his mighty axe at her, but her charge had taken her into the weapon's thrust, and she slashed Batta's torso once before she jumped away, but Batta's axe caught her in midair, laying open her torso. Lyn panted, her strength was being sapped by the wound….

------

Rakario stared, praying to the St. Elmine. He had never been very religious, but...the next attack would determine Lyn's life….or death, and he was too far away to reach her.

------

Lyn stood her ground, and readied herself. If this blow didn't kill him, then she was dead. She centered herself, while Batta was charging at her, axe raised. Lyn snapped her eyes open, and moved….

Batta blinked. The girl had disappeared, and his axe had missed. Suddenly, he saw her. Either she had magic powers, or she was moving too fast, but he could swear that there were four identical people slashing at him from different directions. The last thing he saw was the real Lyn, directly in front of him, her sword slashing through the air…..then his head rolled on the green Sacaen plain.

Lyn opened her pack, took out another vulnerary, and drank it as Rakario rushed towards her.

'Lyn, we have to get out of this place. Let's go somewhere, but to stay here is suicide. Let's go.'

Lyn opened her eyes and nodded, then the two headed back to the tent to pick up the supplies they needed, as well as to give Lyn time to mend her clothes.


	3. Chapter 1x : Traveling On

Disclaimer: I don't own FE7, or any of its various predecessors and / or successors.

Notes:

Now that that's out of the way, here's the next part of the story. Jakadi will reveal more about his attitude towards life (Well, not directly, but hey...)

I know I'm not that good a fic writer, but can't I have a review, guys? Please? Ü

Chapter 1x

◘ Traveling On ◘

--- 3 days after retrieving the Shyarn Kun ---

Jakadi had moved on, after slaying the bandits that had attempted to rob him of his few possessions. He was on his way to get the other relics from his own past, his Armband, and Radaekohn Exo, known in legends only as the Moonlight Blade; the counterpart to the Shyarn Kin, the Radiant Edge. He had been traveling for a few days, and had arrived in Bulgar, a city in Sacae.

'Although Sacae hasn't changed much in the ways of its scenery, it seems this city has turned out quite different….' He said to himself quietly.

'Speaking to yourself is one of the first signs of instability, stranger,' said a voice.

Jakadi turned around slowly, glaring at the green-clad man on a horse. As he remembered it, speaking to someone you didn't know in such a tone was an invitation to death. 'And speaking to someone with whom you have no business to speak to is one of the first signs of wanting to die, _stranger_.' Jakadi retorted, quietly but threateningly, the last word laced with controlled anger. For some reason, he didn't like this impulsive, careless fool very much.

----

Sain started to retort angrily when he noticed the hooded stranger's stance. It was calm, almost at ease, but something about the way the black-clad man stood frightened him.

'Sain! What mischief have you gotten yourself into now?' an exasperated voice called. Its owner, a red-clad horseman whose armor mirrored Sain's, came to Sain's side.

'I am sorry, sir, if my companion here…ah…disturbed you in anyway…He's such trouble, you see…' Kent's voice faltered as he looked at the man, whose arms were crossed and seemed angry.

'Kindly inform your friend that unless he wants an early death, he should keep to himself and not put his nose were it does not belong.' The man said, his tone carefully controlled, but transmitted the message to Kent clearly. 'Now, if you'll excuse me, I have something to do.' Then the man turned on his heel and walked off.

'The nerve of that man! Does he not know to whom he is speaking to? I shou-'

'Sain. You narrowly avoided being killed on the spot right here. Shut up, and let us continue on our mission.'interrupted Kent, obviously disconcerted. He walked his horse off, lost in his own thoughts.

_Who was that man? I haven't met anyone who struck uneasiness into my heart like that since I was a recruit. Sain was lucky he didn't get killed. There's something about that guy...I just can't put my finger on it, but its like he's very capable. To cross him would be folly, methinks._

'Kent? You're not paying attention to me again.'

---

Jakadi walked on, in a bad mood. Had the continent changed so much that people had forgotten etiquette? That knight, for example. If his colleague had not come to his rescue, he would have been in serious danger. Fool. Still, it was not for this that he had gone back to Sacae, an old friend's homeland….

He turned, and went inside a stable to rent, or if possible, buy, a horse. He went to the hostler, a jolly looking man with a handlebar mustache. 'Hello there. I wish to ask a few questions, and perhaps, buy an animal.' He said, unsure if he had greeted the man correctly, or if he would take offense. The customs of people now MIGHT be vastly different from the ones when he had last come here.

'Hi! If you got a question, jus' ask it! Nothing stoppin' you from askin'!' the man said, smiling.

'Uh, right. Do you still accept this kind of currency? I'm afraid I'm terribly out of date. I haven't been to Sacae in a long time, unfortunately.'

'Good lord, son! That stuff's worth a lot today! Tell you what. Give me a coin from that bag of yours, and I'll give you a horse and anything else you need.'

'Are you sure I'm not short-changing you? It is, after all, just one coin.'

'Trust me, lad, I'm the one who's short-changing you! But hey, do you want the horse or not?'

'I will take it then, sir, and be on my way, if you would excuse me. All I need is the horse, a saddle, and perhaps a few supplies? I have ran out on the way here.'

The man laughed, and said, ' Come along, son, and I'll give you everything you need!'

As soon as Jakadi went on his way, the man said to his wife, ' Nice kid. I think he's from the nobility or something like that. He speaks like one of them, at the very least.'

His wife smiled and agreed with him. 'Strange he wears that black hood and cloak in this weather though.'she commented.

'Yep, sure is strange.' And they left it at that.

---

--- A day later ---

Jakadi had been traveling the whole of the day before and most of the night. Nearing daybreak, he reached the spot he was looking for : an ancient oak in the middle of a forest on a cliff with a crevice hidden in the rock wall behind it, known only to him, and his old companions. He took from it an armband, a remnant of the old days. Let the horse graze, and walked off.

Later on, at the edge of the forest, he saw a strange sight. A lone girl was fighting a group of bandits. He watched as she fought one, and noticed another creeping up behind her. His heart went out to the girl, knowing she was going to die if he stood by and did nothing. But he was too far away to lend aid, even on horseback. There was nothing he could do, unless….

He grasped the stone on his necklace, concentrated a bit, and opened his eyes. For a few moments, he had gone back to his Manakete heritage, the lineage of his mother.He was only half of one, thus, he had the countenance of his human father, but the strength, speed, and wings of his Mankete mother. He leapt in to the sky, and quickly sped towards the girl, a throwing knife out of his pouch and ready to strike.

He set down a few feet from the fighting, at the very edge of a forest nearby, still unseen by the fighters. He ran forward and threw the knife at the exposed neck of the axeman, just as he was about to smash his axe into the girl's body. As the bandit fell, he got to the girl, and threw her a vulnerary from his pack. The gash she had received on her shoulder wasn't very serious, though it must have hurt. As she drank it, he noticed the last axe-user, presumably the leader, running towards then. Well, this girl could probably handle this on her own now. He had wasted enough time already. He had to find the group the prophet had told him to find, and rid the world of this evil, and find the 'old friend that would help him regain his skills…' Who was that? Who of his old friends could be still alive? He had put himself in to a state of stasis, to prevent aging.

He left while the young woman was still drinking the potion, striding back to the forest, and returned to where he had left the horse to graze. Hopefully, it hadn't run off and left him stranded here in Sacae.


	4. Chapter 2: Moving On

Chapter 2:

ऻ Moving On ऻ

Lyn and Rakario, after packing up the tent and rounding up a few stray horses on the plains, left, in the direction of Bulgar, the largest city in Sacae. Admittedly, compared to other cities on the continent, it wasn't very large, but Sacaeans never really cared about material wealth a lot anyway. Bulgar served its purpose as a traveler's resting place and trading center for all Sacae.

--- A few days later, in a makeshift camp just on the outskirts of Bulgar ---

'Lyn?' Rakario asked, unsure whether the young woman was still awake.

'Yes, Rakario?' came the reply, not sleepy, as he thought, but alert and presumably wide awake.

'Did I awaken you?' He had to ask that, even for just common courtesy.

'No, of course not. I can't sleep, I'm so excited. I haven't been to a large city like Bulgar yet. But then, you've been to larger cities, right Rakario? What is it like, to go to such places? It must be so exciting!' she asked curiously.

Rakario smiled, reminiscing. 'As a tactician, I've been to many places, training and testing out my skills. I use magic a little bit too, but not as well as any mage you might meet. I can barely cast a Fire spell…' he said, grinning. 'I've been to Ostia, and watched the training Armor Knights and Generals, their thick armor almost unbreakable, I've been to Bern, and looked upon their high flying Wyvern Riders and Wyvern Lords, their draconian mounts ripping through the skies, to Ilia, with the graceful Pegasus Riders and Falcon Knights gliding and swooping through the snowy land with ease….'

'I have a friend who's training to be a Pegasus Knight!' Lyn exclaimed. 'She was traveling to hone her skills, so that she may be accepted to their ranks, she was a bit shy, especially around men, but I haven't seen her since…since…'

'Since what?' Rakario asked. It was his turn to be curious. 'Are you alright?'

Lyn shook her head, snapping out of the bad memories appearing in her mind. 'Its just that…that…I haven't been to a city since….since after my parents died…' her voice broke off, and she was starting to cry.

'Lyn, if you want to talk about it, I'll listen. But if you don't, I understand…' Rakario ventured, unsure of what Lyn's reaction. He had never been good with women.

'No, its okay, just that my parents didn't die like most people do, but they were murdered, in a bandit attack.'

'Murdered? Bandit attack?'

'Yes...You know, Rakario, we haven't shared our stories yet. We travel together, but know almost nothing about each other.'

'Then why don't we? Do you want to go first, or should I?'

'Let me go first, Rakario.'

'Alright then, tell me about yourself, Lyn.'

'I'm from the Lorca tribe. Though simple, We lived contented. But all that ended, when…..'

Lyn suddenly became silent. Rakario kept his peace, sensing that this was a difficult topic for her, and that it would be inappropriate for him to urge her on to finish.

After a few minutes of silence, Rakario finally spoke up.

'Lyn, if you don't want to talk about this now…..'

Lyn finally smiled, glad that Rakario had understood.

'Well then, let's get to bed, shall we?' Rakario asked, yawning theatrically.

'Good idea Rarkario. We've got to get up early tomorrow if we're going to get to Bulgar.' Lyn said, smiling. She went disappeared behind the tent for a few minutes, while Rakario was setting up a cot outside. Her head poked out a few moments later.

'Hey, Rakario?' she asked tentatively, wondering if he was already asleep.

'Mmmm?' came the answer.

'Thanks.'


	5. Chapter 2x: Fateful Meetings

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem.

Chapter 2x

Fateful Meetings

Jakadi had led his horse back to Bulgar, having found what he had been seeking, his armband.

_His teacher had given it to him decades ago, even before he had put himself in stasis, before he had even been sent out to Elibe to conquer the unknown threat. He remembered the look on his mentor's face when the old dragon had realized his potential to become one of the rarest warriors dragonkind had ever seen, a Slayer, a being supreme in both physical and magical power. That was the purpose of the armband: it regulated the flows of magical power in his body, allowed him to channel it. Without it, his only access to the ancient magics was the stone on his necklace, and use of it weakened him. Once again, however, he could tap into his inner being and bring out the deadly spells he once knew. First, however, he must regain not only his skills both in the blade and in magic, but he had to relearn the ancient magics. There was time for that. In stasis, his skills had deteriorated, and in accordance to his kind's laws, he had reverted to his first form, the Blade Adept._

_The thoughts opened another door of memory, back to his past, when he had received his first blade….-_

The horse neighed, abruptly waking Jakadi up from his reverie. He had reached the gates of Bulgar. He went in, and led the stallion to the stable where he had bought him. It would be better if only a few people know of his presence. Somehow, he sensed that the old couple could be trusted. He didn't know how, actually. Perhaps it was a sign that his powers were coming back at last, or at least a sign that the armband could still channel the mana within him.

He knocked on the stable door, and the old man thrust his head out.

'Why, hello there, young man. What brings you back here?'

'Well, sir, I was hoping I could leave the horse here, since I'm staying the night, and possibly, a few days…'

'You got somewhere to bed down yet, youngster?'

'That's a slight concern, actually…' Jakadi smiled. The good natured old man reminded him much of his even older mentor. It would be difficult not to show him respect. He only wished that that young cavalier he had spoken so harshly to before had learned a lesson yesterday. It was folly to break the rules of etiquette, especially when speaking to a warrior. But if that was the way of Elibe now, he had to conform to it, or the menace he had put himself in stasis to stop would be alerted to his presence.

'Well then, boy, you can bunk here too! We're noinn, but then, you're welcome to stay here as long you like.'

'How much do I owe you then, sir?'

'Nothing. Well, you can at least do some chores around the house, chop wood, feed the horses, those kind of things. You look like a strong young man, it'll be easy for you.'

'Then I would be glad to…uh….bunk here.'

'Well, that settles that! I'm going out to the pub for a drink, want to come with me?'

'Why not?'

---- In the pub, a couple of hours later ----

"Uhh..."

"Sir, should I bring you home? Your wife might be worried about you."

"Huh? Who're you? Oh, you're the guy...don't worry, kid, I'll get home by myself. You..."

"Are you quite sure you'll be alright?"

The old man took another swig and drained his mug. A few moments later,

"Ove coursh Ah'll beh awrayht! Youh shtayh here and ehnjohy yourshelf, yuong mahn..."

And he stumbled out of the pub, tripped over a rock, picked himself up, then swayed towards home.

Jakadi shook his head, and sat back down at the bar, sipping from the mug slowly. The pub's door swung open again, and he turned around slightly to see who had come in.

-----

Lyn got into the pub, dragging Rakario with her. It had been long indeed, since she had gone into a large town.

"Lyn, I don't think you should be in there..." Rakario sputtered.

"Oh, come on, Rakario! It'll be fun!" Lyn said, laughing.

-----

It was the girl. And she was dragging a young man with her. He wore the green robes that resembled those of a tactician. Well, well, well. Good thing the hood wasn't up, or she might recognize him.

----

"Hey, lassie, that's quite a moneybag ye have there," smiled a burly man, a large axe and several others beside him. "Would ye mind leaving us some?"

Lyn's hand went to her sword, and the large man laughed.

Jakadi, for the second time that night, shook his head in dismay. Looked like another fight, unless he could intimidate the man. Quite unlikely, as he had friends behind him. Well, that's that. The young woman looked resolute, as did the tactician - if he was one.

---

The robber continued smiling. A fight, eh? He hadn't gotten into one of those in a long, long time. It would be a shame to cut this girl's life short, though. Well, he could be sorry later.

Jakadi pulled his hood up. It would be best if no one would see who he was, because in a few moments -

"Ye want a fight, eh little girl?" came the guffaw.

Well then, it was time.

"I'll give ye a-"

"Leave the girl alone, fool." Jakadi interrupted. At best, it would be a chance to try out the armband. He could only use a few spells right now, though.

"And what do ye think yeh doin', stranger? This ain't yeh fight. Stay out of it. Unless ye want to get hurt."

"And who would do the hurting, my dear moron? You?" He replied, scornful.

"Tha's it, yeh're dead!"

And he charged, his friends joining in.

The lead one charged with his axe raised, and Jakadi sent a ball of dark magic speeding towards the axe, rotting the handle and corrupting the metal. At the same time, he drew the Shyarn Kun.

Another bandit charged at Lyn, and he promptly met a sword through his gut.

Yet another one moved towards Rakario, who replied with a blast of Fire, which sent the robber careening from the pub.

Then fight was on.

Jakadi blocked a sword strike from one of the bandits behind him, then cast a spell that caused the said bandit to clutch at his torso. His skin was rotting away, and his horror ended when Lyn's sword sliced his throat.

"I gather you're a shaman, then?" Lyn asked, not yet noticing the sword in Jakadi's hands. "And why are you helping us?"

"A shaman? Not exactly..."Jakadi replied, whirling around and running the blade through another bandit. "And I can't stand watching people getting picked on."

Fire erupted behind him, and the two turned around to see the smoldering place where a bandit's head used to be. Rakario smiled.

"I told you I was fairly good with magic."

A few moments later, all that was left was the leader, who had been dodging repeated blasts of Fire. Finally, all three confronted him.

"Yeh'll get me, but I'm taking her with me!" and he lunged, the axe heading towards Lyn.

Lyn and Rakario were frozen in shock, as the axe whirled towards Lyn...

Jakadi, however, wasn't frozen. He quickly cast a spell, one of a higher level than the ones he used before. Bolts of shadow magic melted the axe, and still more bolts slammed the large bandit into a wall, and a quick thrust ended the fight.

A few minutes later, Lyn turned to thank him, but he was gone.

"Lyn!"

"Rakario?"

"That guy was..."

"I know. The guy was..."

The two said it in unison.

"...the hooded figure."

---------


	6. Chapter 3: Memories

Disclaimer: (I'm starting to hate doing this disclaimer thing, I mean, doesn't everybody know I don't own the FE already?) Anyway, I do not own Fire Emblem 7 or just Fire Emblem as it is known outside Japan, or any of its predecessors and successors. However, I claim ownership for any OCs that may arrive in the story.

A/N:

Well, now that that's over with, I'd like to apologize for not updating in such a long time. My 'net connection hasn't been that good for the past few months, so uh...yeah. Anyway. Thanks for the review, and the encouragement, Derra.

So in this chapter, we see a little bit into Jakadi's past and more about his persona, which is decidedly at times, emo, but usually, serious. As to why he's that way, maybe we'll see.

* * *

Chapter 3 

Memories

* * *

Jakadi stumbled out of the bar, the old man in tow. The old man, however, noticed that Jakadi was looking a bit weak, and started to

support him, which was no mean feat, since he was pretty drunk. "Hey, kiddo, you all right? That bar fight didn't take that much out of

you, right? I mean, those losers didn't even(hic) touch you! You were (hic) incredible!"

He didn't receive a reply. Jakadi, on the other hand, had realized why he was feeling this way. He had unconsciously used Dark magic,

and this fed on the darkness in his inner being, and awakened quite a few memories that hurt him quite a lot. Most Dark magic-users

were usually those who had either done and seen so much evil that the things that surfaced no longer troubled them, or were so

innocent that there were very few evil memories that would surface. Now Jakadi, on the other hand, was neither. He struggled on,

leaning on the old man, but not too much.The old man was getting worried about the kid. He looked like he was getting wearier with

each step, almost as though he was dying on his feet. The pale face didn't reassure him so much, either. He continued to half-drag, half-

carry the kid back to the house.

And so the odd couple struggled on to the old man's home, and they were nearly there when abruptly, Jakadi lost consciousness and

slipped out of the old man's grip and onto the cold ground.

"Kid? Kiddo!(hic) You…all…(hic)?"

The old man's voice was fading, although Jakadi struggled to hear, to regain consciousness. But despite his efforts, everything soon

blacked out.

* * *

_He fell into the endless depths of the huge hole. The edge of the chasm flew past him, and he dropped into the nothingness. His  
only companion was the wind roaring around him, yet somehow never touching his flesh. Swirling shapes danced around and_

in front of him, then these, too, vanished into the illimitable darkness. Then he saw the faces of his friends and companions,

people who had stood beside him in the last few days. The for_ms of __Rhyai__, Elise__ and __Brogh__ were swirling around him,__ their _

_faces serene, yet arms reaching out to him, as though they were imploring him to return._

_There was no sound except the wind, and the rushing bodies that flew past him with mouths open as if screaming were totally _

_silent. Then he, too tried to scream, to shriek, to yell, to call out, anything, but he too had no voice. Next he saw the sleeping _

_countenance of __Kriy__a__, and tried to run towards her__, afraid she was hurt. But he was only running on air, and she had _

_disappeared. He pivoted, and saw her again, this time, running too, towards him with that gentle, assured smile of hers. Then _

_she faded again, a look of disappointment and what strangely, looked like fear in her eyes. That was the look she wore when _

_he had tried to tell her. She had known__ what he was going to say __even before he said it,__ had sensed what lay hidden in the _

_deepest recesses of his heart, and she believed that what was __lying __there__ would__ never fit in with her expectations of him. Then _

_she was simply gone__ again__, and the darkness returned, even blacker than before, and he was left with only the inex__plicable _

_agony of__ losing her again. It was the same way that day so long ago, when he had told her of what he felt for her, and when _

_she had only turned away and left him standing in a void not unlike where he was now._

_Time had no more meaning now. He had been falling for a long time, but that was all he knew. More memories had come _

_back to him during the fall. But none hurt him more that the memories of __Kriya__. Once, an image had come back to him, but it _

_was still, like a picture. It had been in a time when all was fine and life was enjoyable, when everyone was together, and __Kriya_

_was there, beside him, her head resting on his shoulder, his head on hers, and they were all smiling and laughing. It had _

_caused him so much pain, and once again tears fell from his eyes in despair.__ Was this his destiny? Falling through this infinite _

_abyss? Or was this his punishment? Prometheus had his rock and the infernal bird that plagued him; perhaps this was his _

_torture, spending an eternity here with nothing but memories here that plagued him and tormented him, especially those about __Kriya._

_Then, to his left, he saw a light through the corner of his eyes. He turned around and faced it. It was __Rhyai__, Elise, and _

_astonishingly, __Kriya__. He could see __Rhyai__ mouth moving; forming his name, calling him, but no sound came out. He glanced at _

_Elise, and she too was calling him. Then, at __Kriya__, and she was holding her hand out, as though willing him to grasp it and _

_come back to her. But something was strange, different. The three, though his closest friends, hadn't been together for a long _

_time. Elise and __Rhyai__ had been trying to forge a peace between him and __Kriya__, but their pleas __had fallen on deaf ears. _

_He concentrated on them, and gradually, he could hear them, if only just. He ran towards them then, fighting against the wind _

_which had suddenly roared against him. He could hear the two calling out to __him, exhorting him to get to them, but it was _

_Kriya's__ presence there that urged him on the most, the knowledge that finally, she would talk to him again, and he charged _

_headlong against the gale. Then, just as was almost there, __Kriya__ turned away with a look that he had seen all too often _

_nowadays, the only response he could get from her during the last few months they were near enough, yet even then she was _

_worlds away from him, refusing to even acknowledge him. And she turned away, and his heart was rent anew. __Rhyai__ and Elise _

_looked sympathetically at him, unable to do anything else as he fell to his knees, the torrent of silver tears raining down from -_

_his eyes, then they too, disappeared. _

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_A/N:

So there it is. Jakadi's not such a happy-go-lucky guy, is he? Anyway, please R&R, so I know what I'm doing wrong and make this better.


	7. Chapter 4: Show of Force

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword, or any of its predecessors and successors. However I claim ownership of the characters Jakadi and Rakario, as well as any other OCs that may appear in the story, however briefly.

**A/N:**Well, that last chapter was woefully short, since I was feeling a little bad then, hence the angsty tone. Oh well. I hope I can make it up with this chapter, but I haven't quite got the hang of this thing yet. Happy reading, y'all, and I apologize for the sucky chapter title.

Chapter 4

Show of Force

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The old man staggered to the house, carrying the limp form of Jakadi. Upon opening the door, his wife gasped and quickly helped her husband carry in the young man and up the stairs to the room they had let him use while he was staying at their house. The wife, full of maternal instinct, tucked him in the bed after making sure he didn't have any injuries. The old man looked on, obviously worried. The young man _had_, after all, dropped onto the street without warning. After the old lady had finished, the couple looked at Jakadi's unconscious form. They saw his tortured face and wondered what this young man had gone through. He looked so young…but there were times when he looked at them and the two had seen something in his eyes that made him seem older, older even than they. It was almost as though this man had gone and seen through horrors they could only imagine.

Shaking her head, the old lady looked at her husband, who looked back. The two held each other's gaze for a moment, and then the wife tentatively asked, "Have you had supper yet?" When the husband answered, "No, not yet;" The wife turned around and told him quietly, "We can't do anything more for this child now. Let him sleep, and we'll see how he fares tomorrow. If he's still out of it, then we'll bring him to a healer."

The old man nodded his assent, then of one accord, they went down the steps and took a simple meal before turning in, both brimming with worry.

Lyn and Rakario, after trying to help the barkeeper repair the damage to his establishment and asking the barkeeper about possible places where they could spend the night, walked off into the night to find the place barkeeper has told them offered cheap rates and good rooms.

As they strolled through the streets, stretching and relaxing their muscles after that bar fight, they talked about the hooded man who had so often aided them. Lyn been beside him in battle twice, Rakario had only glimpsed it.

"What kind of warrior do you think he is?" asked Lyn. "I mean, you've been travelling for a long time, and you must have seen a lot of fighters in your travels."

"I have no idea, actually." came the unexpected reply. "He couldn't be just a simple sword-wielder, he's too fast for that. Did you see that speed at which he drew that sword of his? And that sword…wow. It was almost like it radiated light from its inside, not just reflecting the lights in the bar. He's too good, even for a myrmidon, so that rules that possibility out. Most myrmidons focus on sharpening their skills with the blade solely, and I've never heard of a myrmidon delving into magic."

"A shaman, maybe?" Lyn asked. She had met one of these Dark magic users a few days before, and shamans were the only people she knew that used Dark magic.

"I've never heard of a shaman practicing sword skills, either. Most, if not all, shamans devote their lives to perfecting their Dark Arts, much like myrmidons. And most shamans are frail or too physically weak to slice through a man like he did, so..." Rakario trailed off. When that man had channeled Dark magic, Rakario had seen his eyes glow gold for an instant, and that man didn't carry a tome with him…all very much intriguing.

"Rakario…?"

"Mmm?"

"This looks like the place."

And the two travelers went inside the inn, rented a couple of rooms, and went to sleep.

_Meanwhile_

Bronk was wondering where the members of the group of bandits he had sent to grab some cash from the town of Bulgar were. It usually didn't take this long for them to get some loot….usually.

Just then, a messenger came running in. It was one of his many paid informants who kept him up to date with the city's happenings. After all, Bronk's bandit troupe, better known as the Happy Thieves Social Group for Underprivileged People Who Wants Some Money , virtually ruled this province.

"Yeh?" he asked the informant, noticing that he was very much tired. Well, it was pretty late. "Ye look tired, friend. Not used to being up this late?"

"No sir…" the man answered, huffing and puffing. "I've been running all the way from Bulgar. Your…friends that went there to grab some loot just had their backsides handed them, courtesy of a couple of strangers."

Bronk was silent for a couple of moments, then asked, "What're backsides? And what does handing them mean? Is it like, getting a load of gold?"

The man looked blankly at Bronk for a moment. How could this dumbass ever rise to being a bandit leader? He inwardly asked. Well, you probably didn't need a lot of brains to run a group of bandits, especially one with the name, "Happy Thieves Social Group for Underprivileged People Who Wants Some Money". What genius had thought that name up?

"Yo, friend!"

His attention snapped back to the bandit leader. Idiot or not, he needed the gold this moron gave him for information. "Um, what I meant to say was, they got killed while trying to get some gold of a couple of strangers."

"Strangers? How many of them were there?"

"Well, they tried to take the money off only two people, a guy with sandy hair that fell into his eyes, and some long-haired girl."

"How…could they get killed by two people, one of them a girl?!"

"Well, the girl was pretty good with a sword, and the guy wore the robes of a tactician, and he could use magic pretty good, too, but the friends you sent could've taken them on, easy." He didn't want to make Bronk feel bad about his men getting killed by a girl and a pansy.

"Then why'd they get killed?"

"Another stranger got into the fight, some tall guy in a long, black robe that had a hood, and he had long black hair. He's the fastest guy with a sword I've ever seen, and that Dark magic he wields…whew. He was scary. He took out around half of your men, the other two had a hard enough time dealing with the guys who were left."

"So…he thinks he can take on the Happy Thieves Social Group for Underprivileged People Who Wants Some Money? Y'know where he's staying? And where those other two are? Imma show these people how to respect the Happy Thieves Social Group for Underprivileged People Who Wants Some Money!"

"Uh…right."

"Here's the gold you earned. Thanks for the info, now."

"Thank you for the gold."

"Right. Have a good night, y'hear?"

"You, too, sir."

The barkeeper pulled his hood up, then walked off back to his home.

_Morning_

Lyn woke first, accustomed to rising with the sun. She yawned, then put on some clothes. The bath she had last night in the river near the inn had refreshed her a lot. Well, it was time to wake Rakario. He had dropped off to sleep almost immediately after he had taken a dip in the river, and she had had to wake him up periodically to get him up to his room.

She slipped on her sandals, then walked off to Rakario's room to wake him up. Maybe the fight last night had taken a lot more out of him than she knew.

A couple of rooms down, however, a couple of knights woke up at almost the exact same moment. It was a practice of theirs that dated back to their days of training.

"Hey, Sain." Kent greeted, drowsily.

"Hey, Kent. "came the answer. Neither was very talkative during the mornings. At least, unless they had a mission, which they did.

Kent sat bolt upright when he realized this. "Sain, you know we've been in this town for a week, and we still haven't found Lady Lyndis. All we've accomplished is you getting in trouble with that man and then into more trouble with that lady." There was a touch of reproof in his voice, but Sain was used to that. They were the best of friends, after all.

Sain sighed. "Kent, did you notice something about that lady who…er…I got into trouble with?"

"Whatever are you talking about?"

"Remember that painting of Lady Madeline?"

"The Marquess' daughter?"

"Yeah. Did you notice that girl had striking resemblances to our Lady Madeline?"

"No, I had only seen the back of her. Wait, do you think she's who were looking for?"

"Might be." Sain yawned, then turned over and fell asleep again.

"Just like you to snore away like that after thinking that we've almost accomplished our mission…." Kent sighed, then stood up and dressed.

The old couple rose too, albeit a little later than Kent, Sain, and Lyndis. The husband walked over to Jakadi's room – they already thought of it as his – while the old lady went to the kitchen to see about breakfast.

"Hey, kid…?" The old man opened the door, slowly. He breathed a sigh of relief when Jakadi answered, "Hey, sir."

He opened the door wider and said, "You gave us a fright last night. What happened? You want to talk about it?"

"Not really….not right….now, sir, if that's okay with…you." Jakadi answered, a little weakly. The aftereffects of the memories resurfacing weren't quite over yet.

"Oh, okay, but what do you say about some breakfast? I'm sure you're hungry, as you didn't eat your supper last night."

He really didn't feel like eating, but to refuse was to be rude, and this old couple had shown him hospitality. He couldn't be churlish to people like this. "That sounds….great."

The two went downstairs, where the lady fussed over him like a mother hen and made sure he ate a lot. They talked about a lot of things, but never once did the conversation stray towards the events of last night, or to Jakadi's past. Mostly, the two told him their stories about life in Bulgar in particular, and Sacae in general.

After spending some time with the couple, Jakadi asked if he could spend a couple more hours in bed. He explained it as his being really tired. The two told him that it was okay, they understood, and so Jakadi left the two at the table and weakly staggered up the stairs to his room, where he collapsed. The food, far from nourishing him, still left him at state of weakness. All the time walking and being on his feet didn't help, either. If anything, it was making him worse. In a few minutes, he was unconscious, and the dreams started haunting him again.

A few minutes later, the old couple heard strange sounds outside, and went out to investigate. They shouldn't have.

Bronk and his men assembled outside the old couple's house, ready to take revenge. The minute the two had poked their heads outside, they grabbed the two and Bronk directed some of his men to search the house for the black-hooded, black-haired man that had taken the life of so many of their comrades. At that moment, Lyn and Rakario were strolling down the street, going to the store to buy supplies for their journey.

Bronk looked at the two strangers, walking towards them. How did he know they were strangers? Simple. Only out-of-towners would dare walk in the streets while he and his men were in town. And he also noticed the features of the two…._A girl with really long hair, and a guy in __tactician's__ robes_…it was them.

The two noticed the large group of people standing outside a house, but only passing attention…until they noticed the old couple being held hostage.

Lyn put a hand on her sword's hilt, while Rakario rested his hand on a Fire tome. They asked the group in general, "What is going on here?" Lyn's tone demanding, Rakario's more subdued, but with equal force.

The only answer the two received was a yell of "GET'EM, BOYS!" and then, the fight was on.

The two gave very good accounts of themselves, Lyn twisting and slashing the brigands left and right. It seemed like not one of the brigands could catch her, and she sliced through one after the other. One brought an axe down whistling towards her head, but the handle was sliced off a millisecond later. Another threw an handaxe, only find it hitting only air…then his hand fell to the ground before he could even make another move.

It was a dance. A deadly one. Lyn's movements were graceful and quick, and one after another, the bandits fell. But soon, they overwhelmed her by sheer force of number.

Rakario pirouetted, Fire blasting out from his hands as he burned anything of a bandit that came into reach. Handles turned into ash, axe heads melted, clothes were aflame, and body parts bursting into flame. Like Lyn, however, he was soon overcome by sheer numbers.

Bronk laughed. The two gave a good fight, but they were beaten, nonetheless. Now, it was time for the other stranger…

Who was being carried out of the house at the exact moment. Bronk's grin became wider. This was the man who had killed so many of his men? He couldn't even stand now, and he could only manage to walk a little and look weakly at the bandits assembled in the street.

"So…yeh killed my men, eh?" Bronk asked pointedly. "Yeh bump into matters that don't concern yeh, so now ye'll pay the price!;" he roared.

"Let's start off with this young lady…she a friend of yours?" He smiled, wickedly. He nodded at a couple of his men, and one of them placed an axe right under Lyn's chin. Lyn struggled, but the men holding her were stronger.

"No!" came Rakario's exclamation, but he was quickly silenced by a hand over his mouth. "For that, you're gonna go next, kiddo." Bronk grunted. The old couple were long since out of it, having fainted from fright.

Jakadi, in his dim state, only heard a few words, and saw even less. He saw that girl he had helped last night, a brigand holding an axe under her head, another two holding her. His head cleared a little, and he noticed the two men restraining him. He was still weak from last night's events.

The world swirled, and he strained to listen to what looked like the lead bandit's words.

"What…? No answer? Well, we'll see how you react to blood, then!"

_ No. I will not allow you to kill her._

The axe was now lifted above the girl's head.

_ I will not allow it._

The bandit's guffaws were getting louder in anticipation.

_ I. Will. Not. Allow. It._

And then, at that moment, Jakadi's eyes glowed gold.

Rakario stared, along with everyone else on the scene. He had sensed it a moment before, the mana buildup in the man the bandits were restraining. Then he had seen his eyes glow, the same way they had glowed last night. What was going to happen now?

Energy crackled. Bolts of pure energy were racing up and down the man's body. _It wasn't __Lightning._ Rakario thought. _The energy is too much for that. It feels…more like __Bolting__, but even stronger. But that's…impossible. Bolting was released the moment it was cast precisely because it would fry the mage casting it, if it stayed in the mage's hands. But…this man had channeling something even more powerful than __Bolting__ through his entire body. And he wasn't getting fried. Furthermore, this wasn't Anima magic. It didn't have that feel. It felt more like...Light magic, but something more than that. What was this guy?_

The bolts of golden energy had incinerated the two men holding him upright. Far from falling down, the man seemed to float in the air. Suddenly, the energy lashed out, racing towards the man carrying the axe above Lyn's head. In a millisecond, there was nothing left but ash. _So it's long-range, like Bolting_. Rakario thought. _A new long range spell__, maybe?_ He couldn't be more wrong.

Bandits rushed at the man, then as they neared, the bolts suddenly lashed out again, striking the bandits nearest him. Instead of ending there, however, the tendrils of energy spread throughout the entire bandit group, incinerating, immolating, melting…until there were none left, except for Bronk and the men holding the hostages. The survivors looked at each other, terrified. What had the gotten themselves into?

Bronk regained his senses. He roared for the hostage-holders to let go of their captives and kill the black hooded man who was standing still. These complied immediately, rushing towards Jakadi with axes aloft.

Jakadi's burst of Light magic had cleared his mind of the Dark magic's influence. He saw clearly now. His senses had been awakened, even heightened. The brigands rushing towards him seemed to be moving in slow motion. In a flash, he gathered power into his armband and summoned his sword.

In seconds, it was there in his hand, the naked edge radiating power. The Shyarn Kun had reacted to its master's resurgence of power with power of its own. It shone in the sunlight, and together, man and blade moved.

Bronk was stupefied. Where had this guy gotten the sword? The guy didn't have it a moment ago! He watched helplessly as the man moved like a wraith from man to man, killing them as easily as a dragon did, in the old legends where dragons and men had fought. His men were falling as quick as the old legends said men did when they fought against the dragons of old.

The nearest brigand didn't have time to register the sword's appearance. He was zeroing in for the kill, and his senses were narrowed. His realization came too late. His axe clattered to the ground, while its owner fell beside it.

The second one hesitated. Big mistake. Jakadi seemed to disappear, then reappeared behind him, and his headless torso fell to the ground.

Another bandit lifted his axe high, attempting to bring it down onto Jakadi's back, seeing a moment of opportunity. As the axe came whistling down, it met a shining blade, which melted its head. A second later, its owner turned to ash as magic incinerated the axe's master.

The others fell, too, quickly. The last one tried to take to his heels and run. He didn't get very far when a bolt of energy ripped through his body and he lay inert on the street.

Jakadi straightened, and looked at Bronk. His voice was controlled, but no one could miss the venom and fury it contained.

"You threaten innocent people with death."

Bronk gulped.

"You are worthy of nothing."

Bronk paled.

"You are deserving of nothing."

Bronk's eyes pleaded for forgiveness, for mercy.

"Except, perhaps…"

"Death."

And, seconds later, another pile of ash lay on the streets.

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**A/N:** Okay, that was a bit graphic, don't you think? Oh well. Looks like Jakadi's scary when he's mad, right? Or was it just a lapse of self-control? I'll let you decide. Hopefully this long chapter made up for the short one's I've written. Thanks! R&R, please.


End file.
